People like us – Nour-Eddine Jarram and Henk Chabot

Exhibition 25 October 2026 – 7 March 2027

Nour-Eddine Jarram (b. 1956, Casablanca) and Henk Chabot (1894, Sprang-Capelle – 1949, Rotterdam) never met. They grew up in two entirely different worlds and visual cultures. Yet there is something in their work that connects them: they share a common theme. 

What brings them together is their portrayal of vulnerable fellow human beings. Despite the different period, background and visual idiom, both are concerned with the same theme. They both explore subjects such as migration, refugees, freedom, identity and human dignity.  

Chabot employed a highly individual expressionist visual idiom inspired by his knowledge of modern German painting of the 1920s. He observed the way artists expressed powerful emotions and fears by distorting reality. During the Second World War he painted intense depictions of people on the run, in hiding and held prisoner.  

Jarram’s work brings two cultures together: Islamic culture and Western European painting. Jarram began painting watercolours of migrants looking for a safe place to live in 2015. The experience of migrants and refugees is a major theme. He often bases his compositions on images observed in news stories and social media. Although their work is divided by almost eighty years, they share a close connection.  

For both artists, seventeenth-century Dutch art is a major source of inspiration. Especially Rembrandt van Rijn with his meticulous composition and chiaroscuro (contrasting light and shade). For Jarram, Rembrandt is an enduring source of recognition and inspiration. For Chabot it was Rembrandt’s humanity and freedom. 

People Like Us brings together two artists from different visual cultures, revealing the elements they have in common. Both draw attention to an urgent issue in their own day. While there are some remarkable thematic similarities, they also share a common view of humanity, connected by sincere empathy. 

Left to right:

• Henk Chabot, The Family, 1924, oil paint on canvas, private collection Amsterdam.
• Nour-Eddine Jarram, In a Hurry, 2022, watercolour on paper, courtesy of the artist.

Upper image, left to right:

• Nour-Eddine Jarram, Fatherhood, 2025, watercolour on paper, courtesy of the artist.
• Henk Chabot, Family with Orange, 1947, oil paint on canvas, collection Chabot Museum Rotterdam